Diwali

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Indian Festivals: Diwali

This is perhaps the most well-known of the Indian festivals: it is

celebrated throughout India, as well as in Indian communities throughout the

diaspora. It usually takes place eighteen days after Dusshera. It is

colloquially known as the "festival of lights", for the common practice is

to light small oil lamps (called diyas) and place them around the home, in

courtyards, verandahs, and gardens, as well as on roof-tops and outer walls.

In urban areas, especially, candles are substituted for diyas; and among the

nouveau riche, neon lights are made to substitute for candles. The

celebration of the festival is invariably accompanied by the exchange of

sweets and the explosion of fireworks. As with other Indian festivals,

Diwali signifies many different things to people across the country. In

north India, Diwali celebrates Rama's homecoming, that is his return to

Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his coronation as king; in Gujarat,

the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; and in Bengal, it is

associated with the goddess Kali. Everywhere, it signifies the renewal of

life, and accordingly it is common to wear new clothes on the day of the

festival; similarly, it heralds the approach of winter and the beginning of

the sowing season